testing for lactose intolerance

Hi, I have a problem. In my life I consumed milk and dairy products daily. You can say that I got "hooked" up on them. Recently I started having pains in my stomach. They were followed by gases and diarrhea. A friend of mine told me that I could be lactose intolerant. What does this mean and how is someone tested for this condition?

Hi, lactose intolerance means that your organism is not creating enzyme lactase in needed amounts or is not creating it at all. As result sugar lactose, found in milk and dairy products, can not be metabolized- divided into sugars that our organism can digest and turn into energy. There are several types or degrees of lactose intolerance. A visit to the doctor will determine yours. This condition does not automatically mean that you have to delete milk and dairy products out of your nutrition. Usually reducing them in diet will do. The tests performed by the doctor include questions about yours and yours family medical history, medications you might be taking and even your ethnicity. Physical exam is also needed. If there are doubts that you are lactose intolerant, hydrogen breath test will also be performed. At the end, endoscopy is a test that can show if you are lactose intolerant.